Manthey marks 30 years with a 4.2-liter 911 GT3 Cup

To mark three decades in motorsport, Manthey has revealed a pair of limited-run track cars: the Porsche 911 GT3 Cup MR 30 and the 718 Cayman GT4 RS Clubsport MR 30. Of the two, only the 911 receives a genuine mechanical upgrade at the heart of the car, a larger engine.

A larger flat-six and a sequential gearbox for the 911

The 911 GT3 Cup MR 30 starts from the 992.1-generation GT3 Cup, as Road & Track reports. Its flat-six has been enlarged from 4.0 to 4.2 liters, the displacement already used by the 911 GT3 R, and Manthey matched the change with work on cooling and aerodynamics.

According to Carscoops, output rises to 552 hp (560 PS) from the 503 hp (510 PS) of the standard Cup car. The power reaches the rear wheels through a six-speed sequential transmission instead of a six-speed manual.

The engine return is a deliberate callback. Manthey says that when it was preparing 996 and 997-generation 911s for racing in the 1990s and 2000s, engine tuning was a major part of its upgrade offering. In recent years the work shifted toward aerodynamics, suspension and cooling, and the anniversary car puts the engine back on the workbench.

The rest of the 911 package is more familiar. It has a new front splitter, extra flics, and a new rear wing with enlarged end plates. Forged lightweight wheels in a special anniversary design save 8.4 pounds, and the suspension has revised spring rates and modified kinematics at both ends.

The 718 keeps its 4.0-liter engine

The 718 Cayman GT4 RS Clubsport MR 30 takes a different route. It stays with a 4.0-liter engine rated at 500 hp and a seven-speed dual-clutch gearbox. Its changes are aerodynamic and weight-related: a new splitter with additional flics, a reworked rear end with a new wing and a carbon diffuser, and model-specific wheels, made by Manthey itself, that remove 12.6 pounds.

What is truly new and what is decoration

Both cars wear Manthey’s white and red colors and a “30 years of Manthey” badge, and the seats carry embroidered anniversary lettering. The 911’s chassis is also painted white, echoing historic Porsche race cars that were finished the same way. On the 718, the wing end plates show “30 Years Anniversary” logos.

Carscoops points out that most of the aerodynamic, cooling and weight-saving changes appear to be available already on the existing 911 GT3 Cup MR. In its reading, the anniversary version is set apart by the graphics on the rear wing end plates and the seats, plus the engine and gearbox. That makes the bigger flat-six and the sequential transmission the clearest technical differences for the 911.

Nicolas Raeder, managing director of Manthey Racing, framed the cars as products of the company’s usual way of working: “Both cars exemplify the way development takes place at Manthey: driven by specific customer requirements and motorsport projects.” He added that neither was created for the anniversary itself but for racetrack use, and that selling the results of these two development paths as limited editions is a fitting way to close the year.

Production, delivery and price

Both models can be ordered, but supply is tight.

• Manthey will build 15 examples of each, 30 cars in total.
• Orders are open until October 30.
• Deliveries of the 718 could begin as early as November this year, while the 911 is expected to reach owners in the first quarter of 2027.

Both cars are intended for track use only, and Manthey has not given a price, so buyers will have to ask the company directly.

Porsche deepens its ties with Manthey

The announcement came in the same week that Porsche lifted its holding in Manthey from 51 to 67 percent. Manthey now sits inside a new Performance vertical at Porsche, one of three pillars the manufacturer has set up to organize its activities. The other two are Exclusiveness, which covers the Sonderwunsch and Exclusive Manufaktur personalization units, and Heritage.

Featured image. Source: Wikimedia Commons. Credit: Matti Blume. License: CC BY-SA 4.0.